Hadston firework victim nominated for community award

A GIRL of eight who almost lost her eye when a firework went astray has been nominated for a bravery award.

Eight-year-old India Redhead with one of the campaign safety posters she is the face of

A GIRL of eight who almost lost her eye when a firework went astray has been nominated for a bravery award.

India Redhead almost lost her sight in the freak accident on Bonfire Night last year when she was at a party at a neighbour’s home in Hadston, near Morpeth.

Although India was sitting well away from the fireworks at the bottom of the garden, one of the fireworks went awry and ricocheted off a fence and hit her in the left eye.

She was rushed to Newcastle’s RVI for surgery which involved removing the iris, leaving her with an enlarged black pupil and sight difficulties.

Since then India has needed a number of operations and it is still unclear if her eyesight will ever return.

Now, she is in the running for the Champion Child of Courage award as part of the Chronicle Community Champions Awards.

India has shown incredible resilience, suffering trauma because of the incident as it was weeks before she was able to leave the house.

She now returns to hospital every four weeks for a lens replacement and hopes are high her sight will improve. Michelle Atkinson, of Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service has nominated India for the accolade.

It came after India was brave enough to volunteer to become the face of the service’s Bonfire Night safety campaign in the region.

She said: “Aged eight, India Redhead was injured by a firework on November 5 2011.

“Since then she has had regular operations on her eye and is still not sure if she will ever gain her eyesight back fully in that eye.

“India has had damage to her eye and has agreed, very bravely, to be the focus of Tyne and wear Fire and Rescue Service's 2012 bonfire campaign, warning others of the dangers of bonfires and fireworks and telling her harrowing story.”

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